Speedometer-driving mechanism



Aug. 27, 1929. J, BERGE 1,726,421

SPEEDOMETER DRIVING MECHANISM Filed Jan'. 8, 1923 ,J5 Y v` Mg l ulvlflEDi :rosnrn SERGE;

Patented Aug. 27, 1929. f- 15.6.113181T oFF1cE.

OF FLINT, MICHIGAN, IASSIGNOR TO A C SPARK PLUG COMPANY, OF FLINT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OFMICHIG-AN.

` SPEEDOMETER-DRIVING MECHANISM.

Application filed January`a, 1923.` serial No.` 611,458.

My invention lrelates to mechanism for n driving the speedometer ordinarilyv used equipped with various sizes of wheels andv tires; whereas speedometers are .usually with motordriven vehicles, and particularly to .speedometer driving devices wherein the shaft which drives the speedometer is itself driven from the mainv transmission or propelling .shaft of the vehicle; usually from a position adjacent the rear end of the change;

speed transmission gearing casing with which motor driven vehicles are ordinarily equipped.y a y i Motor driveny vehicles'ifare inpractice adapted tovregister speed and distancejtr'aveled corr'ectly only ywhen usedwith `a wheel4 and tire of one definite and assumed standard diameter.v It thereforebecomes necesometer to take into consideration the diameter of the wheels of the vehicle and to provide speed reduction gearing between the ratio,and to use speed reduction gearing of L the gear membersandspindle supporting a particular definite and proper ratio in con.-

nection With each particular size of vehicle wheel and tire, in order to insure the driving being vof such construotionthat'the size of of the speedometer; at such speed that itwill register or indicate correctly. v

-vehicle wheels and tires than has heretofore, commonly been the l case; the mechanism driving pinion necessary in'each particular gcase f (dependent: upon the "diameter of the wheels ofthe vehicle) maybe' readily incor-,

f lporated therein; 'to thereby secure fthe driving of the speedometerrat the speed'at which a i it isdesigned tofbe driven andl atthe speed at lwhich it will-indicate they speedand distance traveled correctly.` f i n A further object 'ofmy invention is to provide speedometer driving mechanism yof ythe class or type above referred toa-nd wherein 'means are provided for definitely position- -ing the parts relative to-oneanother; and wherebysaid parts'cannot be assembled incorrectly; so that when the parts areprop erly assembled they will be held in perma-`- nent Aand deliniterelationrelative to one en other to secure a proper driving of the shaftv through which the speedometer is.' driven.

.The drawing accompanying and forming a part of this specification illustratesA the preferred embodiment of my invention; a1- though it willfbeappreciated thatthe same maybe embodied in other forms; and that my invention includes allsuch modifications of the particular lform illustrated as come within the scope of theconcluding claims.

Referring now to the drawing: Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional view showing my improved speedometer driving "mechanism associated with the change speed gearing casing of a motor` driven vehicle,

this view beingl upon'ay vertical longitudinally extending plane indicated by` the line 1-1, Figure 2. sary in equipping a vehicle with a speed-4 i A a vertical transverse plane indicated by the Figure 2 is a view showing a section upon an inclined planeV indicated'by the linee-3,

Figure 2. v a a Figure v4f. is a fragmentary view showing sleeve 4of my improved driving mechanism apart from the other elements thereof.

Figure 5 is a view similar tol Figure 1 but showing a slightly modified form of my injventio'n.

'.'Figures v67 7 and `8 `are views showing a featurel of myv invention whereby provision is made Vfor changing the speedratio ofthe gearing thereof,` and whereby. the position of the spindle carrying sleeve which supports the pinion spindle of the device is fixed and determined when .the parts are assembled.

Referring now to the drawing, the refer-y encenumeral 10 vdesignatestherear end wall of the usual'change speedtransmission gearing casingfemployedin.motor vehicles' Vfor housing. the gears whereby variation in speed of thevehicle is secured; andll designates the main4 driving orA propeller shaft ofthe vehicle whichiextends throughan opening in ythe wal1'10 thereof and rearward from said casing, andlis operatively connected with Athe rear driving. wheels'of the vehicle through any suitable. mechanism.

The reference numeral 12 designates a hollow` housing `,arranged adjacent 4the rear wall 10 and ordinarily secured thereto as by bolts l'extending through holes provided ing 14 the axis of which extends transverse to the axis of the shaft 11; and the reference numeral 15 designates a spindle supporting sleeve having a cylindrical portion fitting-v Within the opening 14 so that the sleeve as a whole may be rotated within the said openn y ing. A set screw 16 is commonly provided for vholding the sleeve in place within the opening, the inner end 'of said set screw be- `ing pointed and entering into a groove 17 provided inthe peripheral wall of the cylin- V drical portion of the sleeve.

' of a flexible speedometer driving shaft mayl ,bei operatively connected with the spindle the speedometer is driven througha suitablev The sleeve is'provided with a longitudinally extending bearing the axis of which is offset relative tothe axis of the opening 14, and within which bearing a spindlen18 is rotatably supported; the outer end of said spindle having any suitable form of recessed lor keyslot connection 19 whereby the end so that the `same will act to drive the shaft. The innerend .of this spindley carries a pinion 20 which meshes with a spiral gear 21 upon the providing speedy reducing gearing through which the .spindle'is driven from the driving shaft and through which gearing and spindle flexible shaft as is usual in speedometer driving mechanism. Because of the offset arrangement of the axis.- of the .spindle 18 relative Ito the axis.

of the'opening 14 itv will be appreciated that inions .corresponding with the pinion 20, ut of different .diameters,.may be caused to engage properly with the' spiral gear 2l to thereby i `between the said'gear and the spindle which .it drives, and for.

lgefers ,of

the driving of the speedometer driving shaftat such speed as may be necessary in each particular case tofsecure a proper indication. of the speed and ofthe distancel traveled, lin the .case of a vehicle having anyparticular diameter of wheel and tire. I .v y

'e In",pr,actice spindles' having such diampinion corresponding vwith the pin.

ion 20, as may be necessary to secure proper speed of the speedometer driving shaft when lthe'instrument is used in connection with various sizes kof Wheels, ywill .be assembled A i with sleeves 15 any one of which may be ase c sembled with a housing to complete a drivling mechanism; so that in making up a driving mechanism' it will simplyy be necessary to select a sleeve having the proper size of ypinion assembled therewith and introduce the. same into the opening 14 and. fasten it in place.. In order, however, to avoid the necessity of adjusting the sleeve in each parshaftll; these elements obviouslyl provide for different speed4 ratios lsleeve are provided with cooperating stop members which prevent the parts from being incorrectly assembled, andwhich insure that when the sleeve is in place within vits opening the pinion Which it carries will mesh properlywith the spiral gear 21, which stop members may take various forms. In the embodiment of my invention illustrated, however, this positioning ofthe parts is accomplished by providing the housing with a stop in the form of a pin 22, and by providing a collar 23 upon the sleeve 15; said collar being provided with a notch 24 which engages the pin, as shown in Figure 2, and which ositions the parts' angularly and definitey relative to one another. .Sleeves adapted for use with various sizes of pinion like the pinion 2O will vhave their slots 24 differently positioned, as indicated in Figures k6, 7 and 8, so that: a sleevethe spindle of which has a pinion of the properv diameter for use with a given diameter of vehicle wheel can be assembled in one position only relative to the housing, in which position the pinion will mesh properly with the spiral gear which drives it and the spindle will be driven at the proper speed for securing correct reading of the speedometer whenrused upon a vehicle having wheels of the diameter for which the particular pinion contemplated is adapted for use.

In the form of my invention illustrated in Figure 1 the housing 12 is provided with an inwardly extending sleeve 25 which fits into an opening of proper diameter in the end vwall 10 of thetransmission gearing casing, and within which' sleeve a bearing 26 for the driving shaft 11 is arranged.'y In the form of my inventionillustrated in Figurel 5, however, the corresponding bearing 27 is supported directly within an opening provided in the rear wall of the transmission casing;` in which case the housing28 has no cylindrical extension corresponding with the extension 25, but fits fiat against'theouter surface of said end wall, as Yclearly shown in said figure.` n e I Thesleeve 15 is provided with a threaded nipple portion 29 at its free end (see Figure 2) with which theend of the stationary outer casing orsheath of the driving shaft is connected; the casing being non-rotatable and the shaft which drives the speedometer ex-I tending therethrough, and being driven from the spindle 18 through the key connection 19, as will be appreciated.

It will be appreciated that the spiral gear 21 is of suflicient width to insure the driving of whatever pinion may be used upon the inner end of the spindle 18 notwithstanding such slight variations in positions ofvspindles (longitudinally ofthe driving shaft 11)" as may be due to different angular adjustments of the sleeve Within the opening 14:, Which lateral displacements ob viously occur in the use of pinions of various sizes.` Also, While I have referred to the sleeve 15 merely as having a bearing for the spindle 18I pre# fer to employ a bearing having an internal enlargement or recess 30, thus in effect providing tvvo bearings in the sleeve, one at each side of said recess.`l This recess is placed in communication with the interior of the housing through a passage 31 in orderthat oil Which Will naturally pass through the bearings 26, 27 and into the interior of the housing may, in addition to lubricating the gear 2l and pinion 20, find its Way into the said chamber to thereby also accomplish the lubrication of the spindle.

Having thus described and explained my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In combination with a transmission gearing casing havinga Wall through which the main driving or propeller shaft of the vehicle extends, and a housing surrounding said shaft and arranged adjacent said Wall and which housing is provided With a cylindrical opening thel axis of which extends transverse to said driving shaft; a sleeve circular in cross section arranged Within said opening and extending transverse to lsaid shaft; a spindle rotatable in a bearing provided Within said sleeve, and which bearing is offset relative to the axis of said sleeve and the axis of the opening aforesaid;'gearing through Which said spindle is driven from said shaft; means whereby and through Which thev stationary casing and the rotatable driving member therein, of a speedometer driving shaft maybe connected With the outer end of said sleeve and spindle; cooperating members carried one by said housing and another by said sleeve, and Which members are adapted to engage one another to thereby hold said sleeve in onel definite and fixed position relative lto said housing; and means for holding said sleeve in place Within the opening aforesaid and said cooperating With one another.

2. In combination With a transmission gearing casing having an endvvall, and with the main driving or propeller shaft of the vehicle `extending from said casing and through said end Wall; a housing surround members `in engagement n threaded; a spindle rotatable in a bearing provided in said sleeve and the axis of'Which is offset relative to the axis of said opening, and Which spindle is provided With a driving recess at its outer end; a pinion upon the inner end of said spindle and With which the gear aforesaid meshes; a stop carried by said housing; a flange carried by said sleeve and having a recess therein into Which said i stop may enter When the parts are properly positioned, to thereby hold said sleeve in one definite and predetermined angular position relative to said'housing; and means for holding said sleeve in place Within the opening aforesaid and said recess in engagement with said stop.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

kJOSEPH BERGE. 

